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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · rush · chip · stock · calf · season · nail · charge

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stock — shares
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stock — goods
  15. charge — electricity
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com